Alfred Jungraithmay: „It’s Jochen“ (1970)
"It's Jochen" (1970) by Alfred Jungraithmayr was one of the remarkable films shown at the Sportfilmtage in Oberhausen. The director, who died in 2016, made a series of important social and political documentaries in the 1980s and 1990s. In his debut film, he portrayed the Austrian racing driver Jochen Rindt, who had the chance to become Formula 1 world champion in the year of filming. Unlike today, the director and his cameramen were able to accompany the racing driver almost everywhere back then. For example, Rindt explains the Zandvoort circuit to the director during a drive, the race of which is subsequently documented in the film. During this race, one driver – the Englishman Piers Courage - suffers a fatal accident. The camera accidentally registers a cloud of smoke rising in the background. However, the race is not stopped. Rindt wins and becomes the favorite for the world championship title. But ten weeks later, he himself has an accident during a training run in Monza. Jungraithmayr's film, which refers to this accidental death on a text panel at the beginning, is a reflection on a sport that led to many fatalities well into the 1980s. The film, which would have blown up the program of the Short Film Festival due to its length of 75 minutes, can be viewed online.
Related Videos
Write a comment